Laura Gibson – Empire Builder

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If you’ve ever wondered how the popular NPR Tiny Desk Concert series came to be, you may be surprised to learn that the origins actually began at a SXSW show in 2008, when NPR Music’s Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson made a futile attempt to see a performance by singer-songwriter Laura Gibson.

After a frustrating experience trying to hear Ms. Gibson’s subdued vocals over a noisy crowd, Thompson mentioned to the singer post-show in jest that she should just come play at their desks. Three weeks later, the “joke” became a reality and Gibson showed up at NPR, ready to impart her folk-like melodies in person. Now eight years and hundreds of performances later, the series is still going strong and Gibson has the distinction of being the first artist to ever traverse the tiny desk.

This Saturday, as Gibson plans to drop her fourth record, Empire Builder tomorrow April 1 via Barsuk Records, she will once again bring her supple sounds to the DMV as she’s set to play Iota Cafe. Gibson’s been through a lot lately, having packed up all her things from Portland to move to New York for grad school, only to have her East Village apartment burned down last year. While she lost everything, the tragic event certainly provided ample fodder for storytelling and growth as a songwriter. Hear the new album’s title track, along with older effort “Where Have All Your Good Words Gone” via Spotify below.

If you’re in the DC area, we encourage you to check out the show at Iota this weekend. Who knows, maybe Boilen and Thompson will make an appearance (just try to keep your noise levels in check, please).

Upcoming US Tour Dates:
Fri: April 1 – Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade
Sat: April 2 – Arlington, VA – Iota Club & Cafe
Sun: April 3 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
Wed: April 6 – Portsmouth, NH 3S Art Space
Fri: April 8 – Providence, RI – Columbus Theatre
Sat: April 9 – New York City, NY – Joe’s Pub
Thu: Apr 14 – Portland, OR – The Old Church
Fri: Apr 15 – Seattle, WA – Fremont Abbey

Solomon Grey – Electric Baby

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London duo Solomon Grey have made a name for themselves in soundtrack composition. It would make sense then that their solo work would take on a cinematic quality, as showcased on their self-titled debut album — released this month via Decca Records. Made up of Joe Wilson and Tom Kingston, the act’s electronic record demonstrates remarkable range, from the percussive “Electric Baby” to the beautiful and languid “Slow Motion Picture.”

Solomon Grey have also done some impressive collaborations with house producer Lane 8, such as this sparkler below.

RIRI ROUNDUP: DJDS / R. City / Brayton Bowman

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All hail Queen RiRi. We were big fans of her No. 1 hit “Work” and collab with Drake, so we’ve got a special treat for you today. Although we personally feel the official remixes of the single let us down by not capturing the energy of the original, there’s no denying that the addictive track has spurred a profusion of creativity — so today we’re rounding up the most innovative of the “re-works” in this exclusive edition of Remix RiRi Roundup.

First up is a bootleg by DJDS (formerly known as DJ Dodger Stadium), the LA duo comprised of Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy who recently lent their production chops to Kanye‘s The Life of Pablo. The mix flips the original by replacing the dancehall rhythm with aerial piano lines and deep house production. The only thing missing in this rendition is Drizzy, but it’s still an inspired reinterpretation that you can pick up for free on Soundcloud.

Another unauthorized remix comes by way of Rihanna collaborators, R. City or Rock City. The Caribbean-born brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas stay closer to the original on their revision, leaving the island influences intact but adding their own verses to the beginning. We dig the lyrical addition on this cut — which is also available for free download.

Last but not least, future-funk artist Brayton Bowman serves up an immaculate mashup of Rihanna and *NSYNC with “It’s Gonna Be RIH.” I mean, does it get any better? Produced by MNEK, the result is what would happen if NSYNC and Rihanna were to have a love child. Brayton Bowman, you win.

Men I Trust – Humming Man

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We receive music from a variety of sources, and in this instance it was through a seemingly random yet serendipitous Soundcloud message. Super pleased that the Canadian quartet Men I Trust reached out and entrusted us with their communiqué as we’re digging their understated, electropop lounge vibes. For a band that only formed in 2014, Men I Trust have a solid catalog that we recommend without reservation, particularly if you’re fond of fuzzy, ethereal bands like Radiation City and Brave Shores. Based on the burbling, lush production, you would never guess that the Quebec outfit’s latest effort, “Humming Man” is a song about a reclusive old man who becomes suspicious of society and shuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Listen to “Humming Man” and earlier effort “Quiet” below.

Night Knight – Set It On Fire

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Today’s feature comes courtesy of a Greek group called Night Knight — the side project of an active musician in the Athens underground scene named Serafeim Giannakopoulos. Together with bandmates Stelios Provis (bass), Manolis Giannikios (drums) and Minas Liakos (guitar), they created the album God Is A Motherfucker, released via Inner Ear earlier this year. While standout track “Set It On Fire” is not terribly innovative, it does have the feel of a warm embrace from an old friend — the kind of comfort that can only come from familiarity. Acknowledging as much, Giannakopoulos proudly recognizes his influences — ranging from Neil Young to Creedence Clearwater Revival to Radiohead — rather than neglecting them in the name of “pseudo-originality.” And sometimes, that’s just enough. Stream “Set It On Fire” below.

Eliza Shaddad – Wars

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A descendant of a long line of artists and poets dating back to the 1800’s, half-Scottish, half-Sudanese songwriter Eliza Shaddad has a rich cultural and artistic heritage to draw from (her great great grandfather was James Paterson, one of Glasgow Boys). Shaddad’s latest EP Run, which releases tomorrow on Beatnik Creative marks an evolution of sound for the UK-based singer, from folk rock to a grittier, more complex and synthesized soundscape. Lending support to the EP were the talents of Mercury-nominated Chris Bond on production, Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice, Foals) on mixing duties, and John Davis (Blur/FKA Twigs) on the mastering of the EP.

Stream the withering lead single “Wars” below.

Andrew Bird – Roma Fade

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Beloved singer-songwriter and world-class whistler Andrew Bird is back with new material, whose ninth album Are You Serious comes out via Loma Vista April 1. The record is professed to be his most personal yet, with less abstruse wordplay and a more vulnerable side of the multilayered artist on view.

Bird muses: “What happens when real ordeals befall someone who has always been happy writing from their imagination and the distance of the third person? Who has time for poetics while grappling with birth and death? What’s the role of sincerity for a songwriter who doesn’t really go in for the confessional thing? This is what I struggled with for this record. I suppose the title could be poking fun at my own foray into the confessional realm.”

The result is a distillation of distinct, unguarded arrangements and ideas that resonated with Bird over a three-to-four year period. In advance of the LP he’s shared a few tracks — including “Roma Fade,” a song about the nervous tension of romantic attraction, propelled by his signature pizzicato on the violin and a propulsive drum beat. The track also comes accompanied by classic artwork from conceptual artist John Baldessari.

Bird will be hitting the road at the end of March in support of the new album, performing to a sold-out crowd at DC’s 9:30 Club April 5.

RMX ROUNDUP: Alpine + Pikachunes / Natalie Prass x Classixx / Alison Wonderland + Happy Accidents / Autograf / Dagny + Atella

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Today we’ve got a supersized edition of Remix Roundup — a segment in which we bring you the latest and greatest mixes and electro jams on the market. To begin we have Australian artist Pikachunes‘ rework of Alpine‘s “Crunches” from their prized 2015 LP Yuck. On this extended official remix, Pikachunes reconstructs the sonic soundscape and injects some intricate textures, adding some serious dimension to the original.

It should come as no surprise that we’re digging Classixx‘s cover of Natalie Prass’ “Bird Of Prey,” one of our favorite tracks of 2015. Joe Keefe lent his vocals to the track, who joins the ranks of Ryan Adams (under the sobriquet Natalie Sass) doing a male rendition of the nu classic.

It was also somewhat of a happy accident (haha) that we came across this Happy Accidents revision of Alison Wonderland‘s hit song “Run.” The bicoastal producers did a nice job infusing their signature nu-disco sounds and driving synths into the original. Pick up a free download of this one on Soundcloud.

Autograf captured our attention with their exquisite rendition of Stevie Wonder‘s “Superstition,” and just yesterday they dropped the new EP Future Soup. The lead single “Heartbeat” below features a soulful vocal sample from what sounds like an old song that we failed to uncover. In any case, check it out below and if you have any idea as to the original sample help us out in the comments below.

And finally we have an energetic edit of Dagny‘s pop track “Backbeat” by Norwegian producers Atella that’s sure to get you in the dancing mood. Enjoy!

SOFI TUKKER – Hey Lion

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With only three tracks to their name, NYC indie dance duo SOFI TUKKER has already set the blogosphere ablaze with their bossa nova and house inspired sounds. Leading up to the release of their forthcoming EP Soft Animals, this week they dropped latest effort and EP opener “Hey Lion.”

Formed by Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern in 2014, SOFI TUKKER has established their aural presence in the animal kingdom through their entrancing South American and Afrobeat rhythms — sort of a cross between Francis Bebey, Glass Animals and Jungle sonically, but with female vocals. According to singer Hawley-Weld, “‘Hey Lion’ is like the opening chant to Soft Animals. We want to welcome people into our version of this animal-world, where strength is soft and nobody is boss.”

Stay tuned for their EP, and check out their showcases at SXSW if you’re so lucky as to be going. Stream “Hey Lion” along with a rad ADDAL remix of previous dizzying hit and Portuguese-sung track “Drinkee.”